


|CONCLUSION: Trust|

by cyndrat



Series: Detroit: Reverse Roles [9]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Accidental Drug Use, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Android Gavin Reed, Gavin realizes he has to be the Adult, Gen, Human Upgraded Connor | RK900, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mutual Pining, Nines can be very obtuse, No Sex, Role Reversal, Sex Pollen, accidentally transmitted, android virus, as in something like a sex-pollen virus, featuring the linen closet, maybe? - Freeform, misc OCs for basic story progression purposes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-10-08 12:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17386388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyndrat/pseuds/cyndrat
Summary: It should have been a typical homicide investigation. Interview the family, the neighbours, the coffeeshop workers... And it was going fine! Until Gavin interfaced with one too many androids and picked up a virus his security system was having a hard time isolating and eradicating.The linen closet is, clearly, the most reasonable solution.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> theme songs (aka the ones i listened to on repeat while writing to put/keep myself in the mindstate i wanted:  
> Set Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol  
> Not In That Way - Sam Smith  
> You Could Be Happy - Snow Patrol (Connor Everitt cover, also The Glass Child cover)  
> Do I Wanna Know - Arctic Monkeys (Liam Erixon cover) (and Rêver’s)  
> I Can’t Make You Love Me - Bon Iver  
> Human - Dodie  
> Better Than I Know Myself - Adam Lambert acoustic (glamguese’s video on YT) and 87Jen’s cover  
> yep i really was into the whole sad ‘unrequited love’ idea -- not because it is actually unrequited, but more because neither of them are truly willing to act

“Oh,” the android says, and from the way her tone has dropped, Nines figures Meredith has put two and two together. “Is- This is about Robin Klim, isn’t it?” It’s worded as a question, but it really isn’t. She shuffles into the kitchenette, the bounce gone from her gait. She returns a moment later, carrying a glass of water. “Here, just that lemon water this time,” she says, offering it to Nines before jerking the glass back. “Oh! Sorry, I- I always gave Robin something to drink, I just…” She stares down at it, then back up, glancing between Nines and Gavin, and some of her confidence seems to return. "I can just... set it here, in case you want it." She moves towards the side table beside the sofa.

“Thank you,” Nines says quietly, reaching out for the glass. She relinquishes it easily to his grip, though her attention follows the glass even as she steps around the coffee table to sit down and he takes a sip. Lemon she’d said, and so it is - and it’s better than whenever Reed has tried to do something similar for him.

A smile that looks almost contented flashes across the AJ700’s face, but she frowns at herself and sets her hands flat on her legs. An instant later she’s pressing her palms together, fingers twisting. “Robin is- was, _was_ \- a good kid.” She seems unsettled, perhaps a little upset. And she is apparently the sort who has an opinion to share before Nines has a chance to start asking questions. “Really - ever since he and his sister moved in, and that was a few years ago. Always polite, even after he first realized that I was- that I’m an android. He seemed… well, there was a bit of time that he was acting a little odd, but then he asked Ms. Lodish to call him Robin, and that was that. He…” Meredith looks at Gavin, then drops her gaze. “Sorry, I’m sure you have particular questions.”

“That’s alright Meredith, don’t worry about it,” Nines says, soothing. “Did you interact with Trinity much, or was it mainly just Robin?”

“Just Robin. His sister was usually too involved in work to pay attention to anyone else outside of their apartment.”

Their apartment next door. Reed takes an audible breath, signalling that he’ll take the next question. “I noticed the walls seem a little thin in this building. Did you hear anything of significance in the past month?”

“Well. There were a few arguments that I recall. His sister never seemed terribly fond of the company he kept, but she typically didn’t- It just looked like she…” Meredith bites her lower lip, eyes falling to her clasped hands which are near trembling.

“Would you prefer to show me?” Gavin asks, holding out a smooth white hand, suggesting a data transfer.

She straightens quickly, staring at him for a long second before looking to Nines as if waiting for a go ahead. He looks at Reed himself, their eyes meeting momentarily. His android probably needs a bit of a break - he’d interfaced with an android at Klim’s coffeeshop a little over an hour ago, then the two ST300s who live on the first floor and work as receptionists for the apartment building, and he’d connected with Klim’s computer to scan through its data files, recent history, and last use… in addition to the rest of their busy day before this. So yeah, it probably isn’t in Gavin’s best interests to take another data transfer interface, but it seems like Meredith might be able to give them their only decent lead in the case so far.

Nines nods, first at Gavin then continues as he turns to Meredith, remembering the little disclosure and rights speech that he’s recited three times today alone. “Your statement and witness account will be downloaded to the DPD’s secure servers within twenty-four hours. Whatever information you give my partner will be assigned a randomly generated code for filing to keep you anonymous until the case is closed and your consent to attach your name to the account is acquired.”

“Okay.” She agrees quickly, glancing between them and rubbing her hands on her slacks before reaching out almost eagerly to Gavin. Her skin peels away, revealing white casing that matches Reed’s, though there are a few hairline cracks on the inside of her wrist.

There are some androids who show no marks of ill will after the Revolution, but the majority have mended injuries or completely replaced parts these days.

Nines lifts the glass of water while Meredith’s LED cycles yellow as the two initialize the interface. She’s lived in this block since the Revolution - even before, in the sense that the woman who’d initially purchased her had rented this apartment. Then the city had evacuated, and the human didn’t come back - at least not back to the AJ700 and the apartment - though she had reportedly requested that the rent for the next six months be billed back to her to allow Meredith to keep the space.

The android’s soft blue eyes flick sideways to him, resting on the glass in his hand before her gaze shifts rapidly around the apartment, LED whirring yellow and even red a few times.

Nines glances around himself, not hoping to follow the path of Meredith’s gaze but simply observing. There’s something that’s throwing him off, just a little - just enough to press against the edge of his consciousness and make him want to figure it out.

Perhaps it has something to do with the way Meredith had almost immediately gone to the kitchenette to retrieve a drink. It’s been five days since a missing persons report was filed for Robin Klim, so she won’t have seen him for at least that long. So the kid must have been over pretty regularly since he moved in next door for the AJ700 to have an action so ingrained that she didn’t need an order or request to prompt it.

Klim’s sister Trinity hadn’t indicated that either of them were particularly familiar with any of the building’s other residents, but the family who lived a floor below had corrected that quickly. If anything, the boy could have been considered the most social and involved person in the apartment building.

Trinity Klement was oblivious at best, and complicit in Robin’s disappearance and death at worst.

That shouldn’t be bothering him though, because he’d chatted briefly with Gavin and they’d agreed upon that conclusion. The incredible tidiness of the Klement-Klim apartment was notable, but not suspicious, and none of the conversations they’ve had with other residents have offered any blatant contradictions aside from Trinity’s apparent ignorance.

He’ll have to talk to Reed about it, after he’s done with the data transfer.

Though it’s possible the interface could be what’s throwing him off. Meredith seems like she can’t decide what emotions she should be experiencing and showing, which is atypical for an android who has allegedly been deviant for over eight months. She’d also seemed excessively anxious to accept the interface.

“Thank you,” Gavin says, his voice just a touch rough, but it brings Nines’ attention back to the two androids.

He sets the glass of water down - he’d drank almost half of it while sitting there, thinking and waiting - and meets Meredith’s eyes, her LED still cycling yellow with a flash of blue. “Thank you Meredith,” he repeats as she sits back in her chair. “We’ve got your contact information; if you could remain available over the next few days in case of any further questions that would be appreciated, but otherwise we should be done here for now.” Reed nods in agreement, blinking a couple times as his gaze seems to reset from staring blankly ahead to actually focusing on the environment around him.

Nines stands, half turning to his android. It’s taking him longer to come out of this interface, a sure sign that another data transfer should not occur until he’s had a chance to rest his systems. Good thing Nines is here to make sure of it then. He’s about to offer a hand up to standing, but the android starts moving on his own.

Meredith stands as well, unfolding her body from the armchair gracefully. “I’ll get the door,” she murmurs, breezing around the coffee table and the side of the couch. Gavin is moving slowly, and a few of his steps falter, but Nines follows him closely, ready to steady him if it comes to that. It probably won’t - his auto-balance functions are pretty basic and should be online - but… just in case, he stays within arms’ reach.

“Good luck Detectives,” Meredith says, holding the door as Nines ushers Reed out ahead of him. “Robin… he was a good kid.”

Nines nods, offering her a small smile before turning away, setting a hand on Gavin’s back to nudge him further into the hall, heading towards the stairs and elevators. “You okay?” he asks softly after a moment where he watches Gavin move only as a direct result of his prodding.

“Decrypting, converting, and reviewing data files, 64% complete,” the android rattles off as an answer, yellow LED blipping quicker while he speaks.

“No more interfacing tonight,” Nines says, tone making it an order. Gavin makes a face, but he doesn’t complain, which is a pretty strong tell as to just how much his processors are struggling with this data transfer compared to all the others Nines has watched his android work through.

Actually… are they done for tonight? _Can_ they be done for the night? Nines is feeling- well not tired, but almost a little lightheaded, even though he’d been nagged to eat well at regular intervals. He shouldn’t be dehydrated either... but it feels like they’ve been running all day, so maybe he just needs some down time.

“Should we…” He trails off at the intensely focused look that Gavin is wearing, his LED continuing to flash randomly. His android is still occupied. Nines goes back and forth in his mind for a moment, before finally speaking. “Update?”

“82.31% complete.”

Well. That’s not a very good process rate for any android released within the past two years, let alone one with the specs that his boasts about. He watches the bright LED out of the corner of his eye as he continues slowly escorting his android towards the stairs, and he almost stumbles when the indicator flashes red, not yellow. There must be a hiccup in the _‘decrypting, converting, and reviewing’_ Gavin had announced that he was working through. Either that, or there’s something important in those files. He keeps an eye on the colour, paying it more attention than he probably should considering he’s the only one watching where they’re walking.

But when Nines sees that damn LED flick to red for the fourth time in a minute, he stops altogether and rounds on Gavin, tugging on the android’s new burgundy jacket to pull some of his processing power out of his head. "Okay, what’s going on? Your LED’s putting off more of a lightshow than usual after a basic interface.”

Gavin's expression pinches at the interruption, grey eyes flicking up to focus on Nines’ face. "I've decrypted and reviewed most of the data files, but there’s one that’s playin hard to catch.” He frowns and stops breathing, and Nines almost panics before remembering that breathing is nonessential in most situations.

“I hope it’s worth the time,” Nines comments lowly, still watching his android carefully. He decides that they might as well stay right where they are until Gavin pins down the last file, because the android’s too internally engaged to pay attention to their surroundings and _he’s_ too preoccupied with his android to do it for them both. So he leans against the wall - briefly looking Gavin over when he starts breathing again - and pulls out his phone.

He’s flicking through the notes he’s made since they got handed Robin Klim’s case when Gavin's LED cycles red once more, catching Nines' eye before it settles back to a slow and steady yellow. "Got it," he announces with a crooked smile, and then his pupils blow wide like they do when he changes his visual distance range or focus, grey irises a small fraction of what they usually are. “Shit,” he mutters, and his gaze slides to Nines before he jerks his head away. “Shit, oh shit, f-fuck... Nope. Fuck this.” Gavin pulls free of Nines’ grip on his jacket, making a beeline to the stairs.

“Reed?” There’s no response as the android starts hurrying down the stairs at a speed Nines would be barely able to match. He sighs and moves to follow. “Gavin, what’s going on?”

“Gi-give me a minute. No, two-point-one- or three-point- shit. Five, give me five minutes!” Gavin abruptly stops going down the stairs like a normal person and hops right up onto the railing, leaping down and ignoring the landings altogether.

Something’s wrong. He’s decided, definitely, that something about that other android’s quick acceptance of the interface and data transfer had just seemed off, though it's such a strange suspicion that he didn't mention it while Gavin was working through the files. As he hurries down the stairs, he thinks that Meredith hadn’t just accepted the suggestion quickly, she had seemed eager about it. Though again, not precisely something he could fault her for - Gavin’s been taking a lot of interfaces to take statements and witness reports and such since they’ve been getting more android cases, and a lot of those who were victims or witnesses are shaken and want to get it over with as quickly and easily as possible. It just… Coupled with the amount of time Gavin had needed to get through it all, and his android’s reaction once he finally had, it’s starting to look sort of damning.

Nines had just had a strange feeling that hadn’t really dissipated, that he probably should have voiced.

Like he’s got a strange feeling now as he chases his android down three flights of stairs, unsure if there’ll even be a trail he can follow by the time he reaches the bottom.

He twists around a landing, slipping past someone coming out into the stairway from the third floor. Gavin had begun this mad dash, and Nines is continuing it, pounding down the stairs and passing the second floor landing while he tries to guess what’s going on. Something from the data transfer is the most likely prompt for the behaviour, but if it was a lead that needed immediate attention, his android would have said something before bolting.

Once he reaches the first floor, a quick glance shows only the family they’d talked to forty-five minutes ago loitering in the lobby. Gavin isn’t visible - but the child from the family (Nines has suspicions that she’s actually a YK model, not human) waves urgently at him. He glances around again as if his android has suddenly appeared before he strides closer, preparing to bend down to one knee to be on her level again, but she quickly speaks before he can do that.

“Your partner ran out the door really fast. Is he okay?”

Even if she is an android, she’s acting exactly like he’d expect a kid around her age to act - curious, concerned, helpful. “I don’t know, but I have to go talk with him to check. I’ll be back if I can, okay?” She nods, and he pivots, focused on the apartment building’s front doors. There looks to be a figure moving on the other side of the street, pacing back and forth and coming close to the ring of a streetlamp but not close enough to be identifiable in the light, and no other people wandering about. Nines makes for the doors, pushing through a moment later.

“You see Gavin?” he asks the officer currently stationed outside the doors - Rob Lewis.

“Reed? Came from the building acting like a bat outta hell,” Robby says with a shrug. “Flashed me a weird look then took off. I didn’t really see where he headed after he slipped between your car and the one in front of it.”

Nines holds back a sigh. “Is he the guy pacing across the street maybe?”

Robby turns and squints towards the figure. He shrugs again. “Dunno. I mean, maybe, but I don’t see any LED.”

But Gavin can turn his off.

Nines claps a hand to Robby’s shoulder. “Thanks anyways. If you see an AJ700, Meredith, remind her to stick around the apartment building if possible for me?” He brushes past the officer, heading for the street. This is just continuing down the line of _weird,_ and _wrong_. Gavin hadn’t paused long enough to tell anyone where he was heading? And clearly it’s not just Nines the android wants to avoid, because otherwise he would have stayed near the building’s doors so Nines could find him easily.

He’s worried.

So much so, that he’s almost too preoccupied to check for traffic before simply dashing across the street, but he remembers himself when headlights flash against the road in front of him. He waits for three cars to pass - two from the left, one on the right - and _then_ he strides across the street at a controlled speed.

That pacing figure is definitely Gavin, wearing his burgundy hooded jacket, but he has indeed hidden his LED. That’s mostly only weird because Nines still isn’t used to seeing him without it - but he’s been doing it off and on over the past few weeks like he can't decide what his preference is, so it shouldn’t be quite this weird.

Nines likes the small feedback indicator a little more than he probably should.

“Gavin?” he says, and the android spins around looking startled, as if he hadn’t realized Nines had approached. _That_ in itself is an indication that something is seriously wrong, even if there were nothing else to bring him to that conclusion. “Hey, tell me what’s going on. There’s obviously a problem of some kind-”

The only warning he gets is a breathless _“fuck”_ before Gavin grabs the lapels of his coat and practically lifts him off the ground. Nines finds the air punched from his lungs, his shoulders pressed up against a wall and Gavin still gripping his coat but pressing his forehead against Nines’ chest.

He gasps in a breath. Something is- Something is very, _very wrong_ with his android. “Hey, hey,” he says, his voice small from utter surprise at the rapid movement. “Gavin hey, you’re okay.”

The android shudders, leaning halfway back as if he intends to pull away, but his head stays on Nines’ chest and he lets out a soft groan. “No, not okay,” comes out, the sound surprisingly not muffled at all - additional external speakers, must be.

“Then _tell_ me.”

Gavin sucks in a breath, tugging on Nines’ coat. “V-virus. In data packet from AJ700. ‘m tr-trying to quarantine it but- but it’s-”

Nines lifts a hand to rub at Gavin’s back in a soothing action, hoping it might help. “Well shit. What is it intended to do?”

The android groans again. “N-no, this- this isn’t helping, stop Ri- It’s giving me objectives, it’s trying to make me- _F-fuck.”_

“What isn’t helping?” Nines has got part of an answer now, but more questions. His android is being very inefficient right now.

Gavin tugs on his coat again but then jerks backwards, mostly dislodging the hand rubbing his back. Nines’ fingers tighten where they’re latched on to his waist, holding him in place, not that that’s much of a deterrent if the android wants to break his grip. But… wait, when had Nines grabbed him? “This- this, the- the touching, the holding, the-” He makes a strangled sound and jerks backwards again, breaking Nines’ hold and turning to start pacing a little ways down the sidewalk once more, hands shoving up into his hair.

What the hell kind of objectives is this virus giving Gavin?

“Sorry, sorry,” his android mumbles, voice just loud enough for Nines to catch some of his words. “Fuck, m’sorry, pl… I need, I… Rich, I can’t I can’t _I can’t-”_

Regardless of the fact that the nature of those objectives is still unknown to Nines, he doesn't think they're gonna be returning to that apartment building again tonight.

“Come on, let me take you home,” Nines says, pushing off the wall. He reaches out towards Gavin, but pulls his hand back quickly. Physical touch seems to be a strangely reluctant no go. “It's been more than five minutes and whatever this is is getting you all worked up, so it's better to just focus on it and set the investigation aside for the night.” Gavin jerks his head in a motion that might be a no, but the action is too uncontrolled for Nines to be sure. “Let's go,” Nines says in the tone that is usually effective in leaving no room for argument - except, funnily enough, when he's using it on his android.

Except right now seems to be the exception to the exception.

It’s unnerving, the way Gavin lets out a low keening sound and clutches at the hem of his jacket but comes nearer obediently, following without protest when Nines heads for the curb. Perhaps it’s a sign of how deep in headspace the android is as he tries to sort out this virus.

Nines isn’t planning on saying a damn word about the apparent obedience though, not while he’s leading his android across the empty street and to his car. Gavin stays quiet, brushing past him to go around the front of the vehicle and their eyes meet over the roof briefly before they both climb in. The silence almost makes Nines reach for the glovebox to pull out something to fidget with, but that would involve getting into Gavin’s space. Besides, flipping cards around is not conducive to driving to the apartment so that they can both relax.

He starts the car and turns the radio on, but lowers the volume so he’ll hear any noises his android makes. Stopping himself from glancing sideways to Gavin is more work than Nines expected _(harder still is not touching his android’s hand to comfort),_ and he focuses on pulling out of the parking spot and starting the drive away from the apartment block.

Speaking of that though…

Nines fishes his phone out of a pocket and unlocks it with a swipe, navigating to the messages app with ease born from half-asleep routine. He flicks his eyes down to it in order to start a new text to Robby.

“Fuckin no,” Gavin orders abruptly, sounding more like himself as he reaches over. His fingers land on top of Nines’ and he snatches the phone away quickly, breaking the contact. “Eyes on the road dipshit, I can type one little message for you.”

Nines huffs a sigh, but now that the android’s got the phone there’s not much he can do. “Tell Rob Lewis we aren’t coming back tonight. Cite, uh, personal emergency if he asks.”

Gavin hums, going through the motions of tapping out the rest of the message even though he could sync up with the device and do it in a second. Maybe he’s being cautious because of that virus.

* * *

Gavin’s still coded in with access privileges for his apartment, so Nines shouldn’t be terribly surprised that the android stomps quietly through the building without waiting for him to unlock anything. It’s amusing actually, the way Gavin seems to be trying so hard to be noisy, but it must be against some core programming because he just… can’t seem to make any extra noise.

He is a little surprised that his android is just waiting in front of the apartment door when he catches up, hands tucked tightly beneath his arms. There’s a strained look in those grey eyes though, so Nines doesn’t say anything, just leans around the still body to grasp the doorknob.

The door unlocks and swings open under his touch, and he realizes that he’s leaning against Gavin’s side a little more than the android probably appreciates. “Sorry,” he mumbles, releasing the doorknob and shuffling half a step backwards.

Gavin is off like a shot, not that he goes far - no more than five feet into the apartment, really. Nines watches as he steps in as well, sees the android start shucking off his sneakers. He turns to close the door securely, flicking the manual lock right away, and when he turns back he has only a moment to breathe in the peace and quiet before Gavin is swearing softly. The android has his eyes locked just below Nines’ chin, with an expression that is sharp and indecipherable.

Nines wants to lean forwards and lean back at the same time, which does not make sense and is not at all helpful-

He automatically slides one foot backwards a little when Gavin moves closer, grey eyes gleaming even while they’re dilated and darkened. The android’s hands latch on to his hips in the same instant that he feels the door solid behind his shoulders, and he almost shudders at the way he’s blocked in, his movement incredibly restricted.

The caged feeling doesn’t stop his own hands from migrating up to his android’s sides, like there’s some supermagnet drawing him to touch the warm body.

“You’re so… fucking-” Gavin gasps, dropping his chin and pressing the top of his head against Nines’ chest. “rA9, why did I get, get saddled with this _now,_ goddamn it.”

Nines… can’t tell what Gavin means from the half stuttered sentences he’s hearing. He feels like he’s missing some critical piece of information, but the way his android is tucking himself close for comfort is making his brain skip over the concern and straight to the whole Comfort idea. “You’re okay,” he says, his voice barely more than a whisper as he strokes one hand up his android’s back.

Gavin whimpers like he’s in pain, and moves, fingers inching up from Nines’ waist to clutch one of Nines’ shoulders, head settling on the other, just in the right place for the android’s cool breaths to tickle his throat. He’s muttering something almost inaudible, and Nines tilts his head as if it’ll let him hear better. It doesn’t, but half-consciously slipping one hand under Gavin’s burgundy jacket raises the volume - just a little, but enough. “I can’t, I can’t I can’t, I _shouldn’t-”_

Nines shushes him, pressing his android tightly against his own body as he continues to rub soothing motions into his side and back.

“Richard, y-you have no idea what… I have to…” Gavin starts to speak, his voice low and rough, and while he is louder, the sound feels like it’s just reverberating in Nines’ bones instead of actually reaching his ears, and- and he keeps talking, but Nines loses the rest of what his android says because he’s slowly drowning in that rich, low tone - syrup, it makes him think of thick, sweet maple syrup, or creamy homemade toffee still bubbling in the saucepan.

How has he never noticed that his android’s voice is so lovely?

And! On that train of thought, of things he hasn’t managed to notice before, Gavin is strong, his shoulders designed broad and sturdy with faux muscles that Nines can feel beneath his hands like they're real. He’s certainly ‘lightweight’ compared to other androids his size - he weighs half of what most others do, if that - but the elements of his construction make it so he can still lift Nines and easily move him where he wants.

That's been problematic before, back when they were struggling for simple cordiality, and Nines thinks that the way Gavin has been shoving him up against walls and stuff this evening should be bringing up emotions like frustration and resignation and maybe a touch of fear, stuff that used to line the edge of his consciousness when his android got fed up with listening to him give instructions. But he realizes that none of that seems to be infringing on this moment. If anything, getting crowded against the wall makes him flush and shiver, and Gavin arches up against him as if in response, chilled breath puffing against his neck where the android has tucked his nose even closer.

And suddenly, _suddenly,_ Nines thinks he gets it.

Because while it isn’t about the way his android has been pushing him around and getting physical, _it is._ Because it’s the way Gavin keeps gravitating back to his body even after retreating, and pinning Nines to a solid surface is just a symptom. It’s about a molten gaze and dilated pupils and a want - fabricated and forced though it may be - to be closer, closer than they’ve ever let themselves be. A want, Nines is pretty confident, to be physically intimate.

He didn’t really intend on speaking his realization aloud, but a breathy little _“oh”_ escapes him regardless of his intentions.

”F-fuckin virus- tryin to- ever since I decrypted the f-file- _‘oh’_ he says, shit, the things that I- that these goddamn objectives make me- I can’t- you’re makin this too- it’s real fuckin tough not to do anything I’m gonna re-regret here Rich-” Gavin inches upwards even as he babbles on, shuddering as if fighting with himself.

”If-” Nines says softly, all at once feeling a little shy while also suddenly very certain in what he’s about to say. “If it would help, you _could_ just…”

Gavin blinks, actually looking properly lucid for the first moment since he’d run from Nines at the other apartment building. “Ah hell, don’t tell me she hit you with something too?”

Nines frowns, confused - no android can interface with him, there’s no way to pass a computer virus to a human. He thinks a little more… remembers the glass of water… lemon infusion possibly covering up something else? “Maybe?”

Gavin laughs darkly, and the deepening pit in his stomach makes _Nines want him to-_ no, that’s probably not a good idea. “Fuck. What a pair we are right now, huh?” And then those black-grey eyes light up with an idea. “Wait, I can che...”

“Hm?”

“Uhh no, nothin. I can’t do anythin.” Gavin looks away very pointedly even while he’s pushing himself against Nines’ body. _“I shouldn’t,”_ he murmurs, but doesn’t seem to realize that those last two words were out loud.

“Shouldn’t what? Gavin, if it’ll help-”

“Fuckin hell, rA9 save me from this goddamn human,” Gavin mutters, turning back to look at Nines, then releases his shoulder and moves that hand to cup his jaw instead, thumb resting a hair’s breadth off of his lips. Nines feels like he's melting from the _almost touch_ and his mouth parts as if on instinct. There’s a lowly muttered, “You’re gonna kill me, Richard,” and then Gavin darts his thumb in between Nines’ lips, swiping against the flat of his tongue before pulling his hand back and shoving the thumb into his own mouth.

Nines is sure his eyes are wide, focused _one hundred_ goddamn percent on the finger currently in Gavin’s mouth, not certain why that move has him breathless. How… how can that be so damn attractive?

Thumb pops out of mouth, synthskin looking slick from analysis fluid. “Yeah, you’re drugged up a little. Fuck, lemme set a reminder to add all this to the file…” Gavin’s LED flickers, a brief break before solid yellow returns, and the android sighs shakily, breath cooling the side of Nines’ neck. “Alright.”

They’re both quiet, clutching at each other, Nines staring down at the top of his android’s head and marvelling at the heat of the mechanical body in his arms.

“Let go.” Gavin’s eyes are downcast, staring beside Nines at the wall near the floor as he makes the quiet request.

But… this has been okay, hasn’t it? Gavin had mentioned the virus giving him objectives, but he hasn’t even tried to act on a single one of them, as far as Nines can tell. Well, aside from shoving him up against a couple walls. And it certainly seems like his android needs a comforting touch.

“Nines, fuckin let go of me or I will _make you.”_ Gavin’s voice doesn’t break, per se, but it’s gone lower and rougher again and there’s an undertone of static to the words.

That doesn’t sound too off-putting in a dark sense, a spike of suspiciously innocent curiosity making Nines continue to hold on for just a moment, but there’s a sharp rawness to Gavin’s gaze that is almost begging him not to test it. And Gavin Reed does not beg. So he lets go. He raises his hands away from his android’s body, and in half a second Gavin is gone.

He isn’t really _gone_ though, just safely out of reach.

“I can’t drive like this.” Gavin is muttering to himself as he paces a circle in the space between the island and the couch. “Autonomous? But interfacing… even indirect... Can’t. Shouldn’t. _Don’t want to.”_ His eyes raise from the floor and he scours the apartment as he turns another circle, then - after barely aborting a glance back towards Nines - he bolts down the short hall.

Of course, from his position leaning back against the door, Nines has a clear view of where he’s gone - right to the _end_ of the hall, past the doors to his bedroom and the bathroom, and straight into the linen closet. He can’t help but smile, even with the startling bipolarity of the android’s actions and words.

His poor android. He just wants to hold him until he gets this all worked out. He wants to…

Gavin hasn’t said what was in his drink.

That thought is pretty effective in wiping the smile from his face. Nines takes in a breath, focusing on making sure it’s steady, then lets it out and takes another for good measure. He hasn’t really felt much different since they talked to the AJ700 in her apartment? Distracted - mostly by his own android - and sort of more affectionate than usual. Lowered inhibitions, too - he hadn’t thought twice about grabbing Gavin’s hand when it was within reach on their way up from his car. And he’d… sort of… propositioned him. Did that count? Gavin had kept talking about objectives, and once Nines had _finally_ figured it out, he’d basically tried to give Gavin the green light to do what he felt he needed to without a moment's thought.

This dumb android is too good for him. Even with a virus fucking with his systems, Gavin had managed to dredge together enough clarity to push Nines away and place a door between them when they’re clearly both not quite right.

Nines is pretty confident their working and friendly relationship hasn’t been completely fucked up by this incident, but there’s still a niggling sense of doubt and worry. The android’s probably going to blame himself for it all - or most of it at least - for not checking the data transfer before diving right into it, for continuing to pursue the errant file, for not testing the drink the AJ700 had given Nines.

That’s… a problem he’s probably going to have to deal with, and fix. But that’s also very firmly a problem for the morning.

Nines sighs.

He might as well get on with his evening? Or night, rather.

It feels like he’s going through the motions - _coat on hook, shoes on the mat, food and water for the cats…_ Every movement seems a little stranger though, because even when he’s facing Hex and Cham where they’re sitting impatiently in the corner with their bowls, he’s hyper-aware of the android hiding in his linen closet behind him, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end while he's got his back to the hall. It’s like there’s some radar Gavin is giving off that’s bouncing through the apartment to Nines then right back to the closet, trying to draw him nearer.

He will _not_ be that weak.

  
  


Maybe he is a little weak.

He’s wandering down the hall, heading towards the door at the end of the hall - the one he has zero reason to go into, and one very good reason to _not_ go into- So Nines stops himself and improvises, grabbing at the bathroom door. He pushes it open and refuses to let go of the doorknob, therefore committing himself to walking into the room.

He is _not_ listening for any sound from the linen closet, and he even turns on the tap to cover up other noises. He could always wash his face, brush his teeth. And then march himself straight across the hall to fall into bed.

But wait…

Nines lets himself go through the motions of washing up and brushing, and then he turns the faucet off and steps out into the hall, except he has realized that he does have a good reason to _very briefly_ go near the linen closet.

“Hey Gavin?” Nines waits quietly, not knowing if his partner has turned off any functions that he needs to turn on or full out reboot to be able to respond.

A second later there’s a sound. “Hm?” It’s too short to convey much emotion, and can be only barely classified as a word, but it’s all Nines needs.

“Do I need to worry about whatever’s in my system?”

“No,” comes out quickly, and a rope of tension drops from Nines’ shoulders.

“Thanks Gav.” He freezes as soon as the nickname drops from his lips, but there’s no response from the linen closet. _Gav?_ How the hell did that come out?

He... actually probably has an explanation, and it's another thing to add to the list of ways he’s acting differently, especially because he's just now realizing that he’s slipped into calling his android ‘Gavin’ instead of the usual ‘Reed’.

Nines hurries into his room and tries to forget using the nickname. If he can convince himself it never happened, or that it was an illusion, that he just _imagined_ saying ‘Gav’ then it won’t ever slip out again. Because that’s totally how the human brain works, right?


	2. Chapter 2

Two and a bit hours later, Nines finds himself staring up at the ceiling. He had sort of dozed for a bit, but he can’t seem to relax well enough to fall asleep for the night. He’s just a little anxious, worried about the android hiding in his linen closet. A bit restless, and he doesn’t actually know if he can attribute that to the drug Gavin had assured him he shouldn’t worry about or if it’s something else.

One of the cats makes a soft sound from near the door to the hall. Nines sighs at her in response, and the reply is a louder cat sound. It’ll be Hex then.

“Alright, give me a second,” he grumbles, then takes a moment to psych himself up to climb out of bed. Because, knowing his adorably stupid smart cat, she’d probably lain against the door and pushed it too far closed for her to slink through again. And now that he’s made noises at her, she’ll keep her vocalizations going until he fixes the door problem. Nines rolls out of bed and pads towards the door, nudging at Hex to get her to move out of the way so that he can actually move the door without slamming it into her. Because then she’ll complain, loudly, and maybe hiss and swipe out at his socks even though it would be kind of her own damn fault.

Cats.

He’s pretty sure he sort of remembers Gavin comparing him to cats once - or at least to his own cats. He doesn’t quite know what criteria the android had used to come to that conclusion.

Speaking of Gavin… Nines grabs a sweatshirt from his dresser and pulls it on over his tee, then steps out of his room. He glances first towards the open kitchen/dining room/living room and sees Hex wandering towards the corner with their food and water bowls. He can sorta see Cham too, slinking down off the couch and blinking her one eye at him, probably wondering if he wants a cuddle buddy. He does want a ~~warm, human sized~~ cuddle buddy, but he quickly pushes that train of thought off its rails.

Finally, he looks to the end of the hall. The closet door is still shut just as tightly as before, but now there’s a soft yellow light pulsing regularly under the corner of the door. Gavin’s turned his LED back on then.

Nines should go back to bed. He should call Cham over and take her to bed with him, and with the cat at his side maybe he would fall into a smoother, deeper sleep that would last until his usual alarm in the morning. He should just…

But he should also check on his android.

Gavin had said _'five minutes'_ back at the other apartment building, and now it’s been three hours, so Nines is a little concerned if it turns out that he’s still struggling with that virus.

His feet seem to decide before his brain does, and he’s padding down the hall towards the closet door without fully weighing the pros and cons. He stands by the door for a second, and he sees the yellow glow stutter in its pulsing, but it doesn’t flick to red, so there’s that.

Gavin doesn’t make any sound to send him away, so Nines takes the silence as some form of acceptance, and he slides down along the wall until he’s sitting on the floor. He hopes the reason Gavin isn’t pushing him away again isn’t simply that they’re in Nines’ apartment, and while he doesn’t believe that his android would normally use ownership of space as sufficient reason to not enforce personal boundaries, he isn’t sure how Gavin’s really feeling right now.

So he just sits quietly for a bit, knees pulled up close to his chest and head dropped back against the wall. Minutes pass in the way that they do when it matters but at the same time doesn't, though it isn't too long before the concern gets the best of him because Gavin’s LED is still fluttering unevenly. “I- Is this alright?” Nines asks softly.

There’s no answer, positive or negative or otherwise, so he stays still.

Eventually the closet door is pushed open from the inside, revealing two wicker baskets on the floor, and a few knit blankets unceremoniously tossed down to make space on the bottom shelf for one lightweight investigative android.

Nines presses his lips together, unable to completely stop the amused puff of air that comes out of his nose. Gavin blinks at him, his expression a little too pained to be perfect neutral, and Nines can’t help but try to shift his expression in a more positive direction with a little quip. “You comfy?”

Gavin flinches at his voice and squeezes his eyes shut, appearing to barely stop himself from curling towards the back wall. “Please don’t,” he says quietly, sounding utterly exhausted.

Nines nods quickly, letting his gaze fall just past his knees. He has been permitted to be near, and if being quiet is the price to pay, he’ll do it.

Hex sashays down the hall, apparently having decided that Something is Happening at the closet. Her plumed tail is high as she reaches Nines and turns, offering the fluff of her tail to his face. He splutters briefly before she settles, flopping down beside him on the floor. She’s given him something to do at least, and if he doesn’t card his fingers through her fur soon she’ll get miffed and leave. So he obeys the cat’s desire, burying his fingers in her side and rubbing gently, lifting his hand and setting it in a slightly different spot after a few seconds.

He’s surprisingly awake for what little rest he’d gotten earlier.

Or perhaps he’s gone far enough past tired to feel awake again - with the combination of long days, anxiety for his android, and the atypical behaviour he’s decided to attribute to getting lightly drugged? Over-tired is probably a decent explanation. The only person who can easily prove him right or wrong at the moment is still sort of hiding in the closet beside him.

Nines glances sideways to said person. Gavin’s eyes are half open, darting focus making it clear that he’s in the midst of working on something in there. His pupils are still big, grey irises a fraction of the ring they usually are, but he doesn’t seem as tense anymore, no longer holding himself ready to jump at any registered threat. Nines thinks about texting Hank to ask if the older android has any advice, but that idea feels uncomfortably like a breach of Gavin’s privacy, whether the android would consider it an issue or not.

So he just… sits, and pets Hex, certain that if she were not there he’d be fidgeting something awful - not that he isn’t basically doing so anyways, fingers of his free hand rubbing up and down on the fabric of his pyjama pants.

Gavin makes a soft sound, drawing both the human’s and the cat’s attention to him. His eyes are wider open now, perhaps a little closer to normal, and he blinks a few times in succession, but Nines can tell the android’s looking at his fingers moving against his pants, not staring blankly into space. Another sound escapes Gavin, even softer, almost a small low whine.

Moving before he thinks about it, Nines raises his hand, lifts it from his leg to hold it open loosely in front of his android.

There’s almost a palpable tension in the air as Gavin’s gaze zeroes in on the offered hand for just an instant, then he’s reaching out lightning fast to grasp Nines’ forearm a few inches below his wrist, blunt nails just shy of digging into skin.

Nines stifles a gasp at the quickness of the grab, determined not to break whatever peace he’s sitting here in, but he’s kind of surprised. ~~Again, that’s kind of hot?~~ ~~But no, not going to think that, not about his poor android. Not right now.~~ He stays still, keeping his gaze off of Gavin as if direct eye contact might spook him. Nines can still see the android and the hand around his arm in his peripheral vision, but he doesn’t dare move. Not yet.

Gavin shudders and presses his eyes closed, sinking deeper into the curl of his body to press his forehead to the base of Nines’ palm. A vague, staticky noise comes from the android, and Gavin frowns at himself. He shakes his head, his grip tightening until a pained sound comes out of Nines’ mouth and the android lets up a bit.

That yellow LED seems to shudder, its light reflecting off the bottom of the next shelf up. Gavin’s hands on Nines’ arm are still and steady though, and he finds himself wondering again _just_ what the virus is doing to his android. He also wonders a bit how the AJ700 had gotten a hold of it, and how its effects had set in so easily. The NK androids are supposed to have pretty intricate internal security systems.

Nines shifts his gaze to look more directly at Gavin, and-

He’s sure now, as he watches the movement increase in intensity over just a few seconds, yellow light flickering quicker. His android is shaking.

“I c-ca- I- _Richard-”_

The sound of his given name coming as a distressed gasp from his android has Nines on his knees and leaning forwards with startling speed. “Shh, hey,” he says, trying for soft but his breath is coming too rapidly to really achieve soothing. “You’re okay, it-” Goddamn virus, making him do atypical things too. “It’s okay, I promise. If you- if- I mean, you can just do-” The halting permission seems to be understood, because Gavin presses his lips to Nines’ wrist, his other hand shifting out in a flash to grip onto Nines’ arm as well, the android’s strength trapping him in place through those two points of contact.

“Don’t let me…” Gavin murmurs against skin, words dissolving into a burst of static, but his eyes communicate the rest. _Don’t let me do anything that isn’t okay._

Not that Nines could ever really stop the most advanced android CyberLife has produced - but he trusts that Gavin would stop himself if he said so. He really, truly trusts that. “I-” He imagines that he can feel his pulse leap beneath the smooth lips pressing against his wrist. Nines swallows and licks his lips, and drops his eyes to the pile of blankets on the floor that were evicted from their shelf, hoping that’ll make it easier to speak. “I trust you,” he says, his voice barely a whisper.

Gavin stops breathing.

Nines knows because the little puffs of air that had been hitting the heel of his hand - _cooling the skin, letting it warm just a little from the apartment’s heating, only to chill with the next exhale_ \- have stopped. His android emits a low pitched keen that makes him shudder. And then- and then the- then Gavin _licks_ his wrist, a gentle stroke across his skin that leaves just enough analysis fluid behind that when the android breathes a soft breath across his skin it feels frigid, in sharp contrast with the warm hands holding his arm still.

Nines doesn’t _squeak,_ but he does make a sound that feels a lot like a whine.

As if in response, Gavin huffs and repeats the action, sweeping his tongue over Nines’ wrist again, this time eliciting a small shudder. The android makes a considering noise, then there’s more pressure, dragging downwards, and Nines can’t help but stare directly at darkened grey eyes. Those pupils hold a depth that sucks him in, making him feel like he's been dipped in a pool of black water and he's drowning.

He does actually gasp for breath as he stares down into his android’s dark, hungry eyes. This is too much. Nines shifts on his knees, ending up just a little closer to those eyes, and it's too much because he's drowning in those goddamn eyes but it feels good and it isn't _quite enough._

He imagines zipping his mouth closed though, because he doesn't dare speak. He isn't sure what sounds would fall from his lips, though he suspects it would not help Gavin's efforts at holding off the virus. Even this - letting his android steal his arm and kiss and lick at his skin is probably more than he should have offered.

It's a startling thought, but he realizes he doesn't want to say no - doesn't want to refuse his android anything whether Gavin actually asks for it or not because- because he… he…

There are teeth on his wrist. Sharp and precise, nipping lightly at his skin before the faint pinches are soothed with a cool tongue, leaving his wrist slippery with analysis fluid.

“Fuckin _breathe_ Richard,” Gavin growls, with a squeeze of his fingers around Nines’ arm. He does drag a breath in at that order, though he exhales with a whimper almost immediately.

He _wants,_ he wants so bad that it almost hurts to stay kneeling where he is. If this is a taste of what that stupid virus is doing to his android, Nines would be ashamed to say he likes it, and he wants more, wants Gavin to- “Is th… Is…” He wants, but is it really him? He swallows, clears his throat, and while his words sound a little broken, he gets them all out this time. “Am I still all drugged up?” Gavin shrugs with a hum that goes straight up Nines’ arm and reverberates through the rest of his body. “C-can you check?”

“Alright,” Gavin says, voice more than halfway to a rasping purr. His lips twitch into a half smile, teeth bared quite a bit more than necessary.

He’s waiting for Gavin to release his arm - with one hand at least, to shove a finger in his mouth like earlier - though he isn’t much surprised when the android lowers his lips to Nines’ wrist once more. He jolts when he feels teeth against his skin again though, seeming to his senses somehow sharper than before and he’s suddenly thinking about a set of books an older cousin had once scoffed at in an antique bookstore- There’s a fine pressure, then a lightly stinging pain, and then Gavin lifts his head, licking his lips and overly sharp canines as he grins.

Nines is going to look like some goddamn vampire got a hold of his arm because his android randomly decided to nom down on him. Not that that’s- Not like it’s a _problem,_ though, because while he knew the android’s teeth were sharp, goddamn this is- that’s _something else_ that really makes him- He’s surprised, but surprise certainly isn’t the only thing fueling the shiver that runs down his back.

“Shouldn’t be.” Gavin sounds positively innocent, as if he doesn’t have a small smear of bright red blood on one of his incisors that’s visible with every movement of his mouth. Nines is- He’s lost track of what question was being answered. And his android certainly isn’t helping, dipping his head back down to lick along Nines’ arm where he’s sure he's going to have a full set of painful teeth marks for several days, or even a couple weeks.

“Whu-what?” Nines manages, his voice small. Gavin lifts his gaze, blinks lazily and watches Nines’ face with his eyes half-lidded as he presses soft kisses in a line from the edge of his palm down. Nines hisses quietly at pressure against the bite mark, and he shifts his eyes from his arm up to Gavin’s face, realizing that he’s been leaning forwards some more.

He is so… Wait, that _‘shouldn’t be’_ was a reply to him asking if his behaviour is still being affected by the drug.

Which means this is all him.

Well then.

He is so _screwed,_ and way too close to his android right now, and too far head over heels for the deadly being clutching at his arm. And yet he likes the touch, and he wants to be closer. He’s so screwed, because he knows a virus is making his android want to be near to him, to touch him and- Gavin’s made it clear, multiple times, that he doesn’t want to fulfill the objectives the virus is forcing on him, so of course it’s this moment that Nines realizes his feelings.

_Screwed._

And he’s about to make it worse for himself - maybe better? probably worse - because he doesn’t intend to stop the suggestion that’s coming to mind. “Do you want to come out of the closet?” he whispers, gazing steadily at charcoal eyes and that's the only reason he catches the way they flare at his suggestion. The android tamps down on the reaction quickly and leans back a little.

“What are you thinking, Richard?”

Screwed, screwed, screwed, because his name is honey, is syrup, is rough and low and divine and he's trying to keep track of his thoughts here and that voice is not helping. “I'm thinking…” ...that he should maybe tone down his idea so he doesn't push Gavin farther toward something the android is going to regret. “I was thinking that this floor is hard, and there are better places to sit and hold hands a-and stuff.”

Gavin hums, and he's too far away now for Nines to feel the sound or the expelled breath. “That sounds just fine to me.”

“Alright. A-alright, I’ll just…” He shuffles back on his knees, recreating the space he’d been reducing every time he leaned towards the closet… and then he’s jerked to a halt. “B- Gav, You’re going to have to let go.” The android shudders but loosens his fingers and Nines drags his arm away, then slips to his feet. He forces himself to move back immediately, even turns to head for his room before allowing a glance back over his shoulder. The bed’s got the most space, Gavin will be able to place himself as close or as far as he needs to, and Nines’ll be able to grab a blanket.

His android has shifted to the edge of the shelf, LED cycling slower as he slides his legs forwards and sets one socked foot on the floor. And Nines can’t help but watch each measured movement, almost impressed with the precision despite the virus’ effects.

He must make a sound as he observes the meticulous, almost sinuous shifting- because Gavin looks over to him, then the android stills, staring blankly for a moment, before his eyes flash up to Nines’ face. “Richard Keenan Anderson,” he says, soft and dark - so fucking dark, “if you think I’m going to climb onto your bed while this virus is still trying to compel me to fuck you senseless whether you’re consenting or not, you had better think again.”

Nines can’t breathe. He didn’t think- But he’s realizing that he hadn’t really, _fully_ understood the effects of that virus. Still doesn’t, probably, but his android’s charcoal gaze is sending a shiver down his spine that is definitely not fun anymore. He sucks in a breath and swallows, sees the way Gavin’s eyes focus in on his throat. Suddenly he feels a little bit like prey.

“I’ll- Okay. I’ll just…” He steps away from the doorway, moving back towards the closet. His intention is to sit down again, to stay near still, but he stops after just two steps, studying his android carefully. He sees a tremor in Gavin’s hands, and the android flexes his fingers before clamping them down on the edge of the shelf he’s settled on.

Gavin shifts his eyes down, distinctly looking away from Nines. “You should… probably just go back to bed.”

He’s trying to put distance between them again.

Nines _trusts him,_ and he’s honestly still _completely_ certain about that, but… That doesn’t mean he has any right to override the request Gavin is making. If the android really doesn’t trust himself…

Nines would have no hope of stopping an NK900 that couldn’t _-or wouldn’t-_ keep itself in check.

He glances down to his feet and fidgets with the cuff of one sleeve. “Okay.” He forces himself to move, turning his feet towards his room once more and moving forwards through the door frame. “Hey-” Nines says quickly, twisting to look back to the closet. “I’ll stay in here, but you don’t have to stay in the closet if you decide you’d rather the couch or something. If you want it, take it.” His own words take a moment to sink in, and once that last statement registers he winces, squeezing his eyes shut and dropping his forehead heavily against the door frame. “Fuu- I’m sorry, I- I’m going back to bed.”

Nines marches further into his bedroom, pushing the door closed and he actually locks it too, listening to the click of the simple mechanism. He resolutely ignores the low chuckle that cuts into static in the hall while he pulls his hoodie off.

He is going back to bed, and he is going to stay there until his goddamn alarm goes off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whooop there it is  
> soooo yep Gav has been calling Nines 'Rich' and 'Richard' because uhh _feelings_ that he may or may not be properly aware of but the virus is stripping away some of the mask he uses to protect himself  
> have been vaguely considering writing an alternate ~end to this chapter? wherein Gav actually takes Nines' repeated offerings to heart but that... that dives into dub(maybe non) con reeaaall fast, and I'm not entirely sure if I can like actually physically write that? if that makes any sense  
> >uhh yep definitely writing this (some of the way at least). will likely end up on tumblr, but i'll def link it in whenever it goes up
> 
> but ANYWAYS there's def 1 (one) more chapter coming, because my brain decided I needed to do a ~morning after~ kinda thing
> 
>  
> 
> ~~[and then i'll probably have to write another thing to bridge the gap between **CONCLUSION: Trust** and 'Breaking Routine']~~


	3. Chapter 3

Nines’ apartment is… quiet. That's not necessarily weird for 7am though, no - what's a little weird is that it _feels_ quiet.

Hushed and apprehensive, like a stakeout, or that minute or two he takes sometimes to just stare someone down and let the silence pressure them into talking before saying a word himself.

Gavin is… probably still in the apartment. It would make sense that the android would want to make sure there are no lasting effects of the drug, considering Nines still has no idea what it was and no idea what to watch for. He… Well, Nines hopes his android's still here, because he thinks it might be good to check in, make sure Gavin's dealt with the virus before they go to work together.

So he slips out of bed and unlocks his bedroom door, then he wanders into the hallway. He pulls the closet door open after only a brief moment of hesitation, suddenly worried that he'll find a struggling android there still - but the blankets have been folded neatly and replaced on the bottom shelf where they belong.

Alright. That’s a good sign then. Right?

The self-imposed exile is apparently over, but that means that he isn’t actually sure where to find his android. His spot on the couch maybe; Nines has noticed that Gavin seems to gravitate towards the same end of the couch whenever he’s in the apartment for more than a few minutes. That’s probably where he’ll be, because he’s never really perched anywhere else.

Mind made up and bolstered by the return to normal and expected, he rolls his shoulders and turns away from the empty closet. It only takes a few steps though, before he realizes that Hex is in the spot on the couch he’s come to think of as the android’s.

Which means that he doesn’t know where Gavin is.

Is it… possible that the android has left?

Well. Possible? Of course. Does Nines think he really has skedaddled already? Not so much, but he isn’t completely confident in that. He’d thought- He’d _hoped_ that he would have a chance to chat with the android, a chance to measure up his state of mind after struggling with that virus for at least three hours, much of that time spent hiding in the linen closet.

He wanders far enough to look over the kitchenette, the island and the table in the corner, seeing no flash of bright LED or burgundy jacket-

Ah, there’s the jacket. Out on the balcony, the deep colour almost glowing in the pre-dawn light that also seems to infuse Gavin’s hair with rich high- and lowlights. He’s almost pretty out there, almost statue-like where he’s seated cross-legged on the floor.

Nines blinks at the still android on his balcony for a moment before he actually moves. He taps on the door to announce himself, then pulls it open, with no visible response. He stays quiet for a few seconds, looking out over the railing at the sunrise that he can catch a fraction of above the cityscape horizon, but he finds his eyes drawn down to Gavin’s back.

“Hey,” he says finally, because one of them has got to say something, and then the words just all come out at once, “all of last night… that wasn’t your fault ok? I had a weird feeling about the data transfer but I didn’t say anything, you didn’t check my drink - we both should have done things differently. I don’t blame you, and I’m okay if you’re okay.”

He knows full well what he’s offering - he’d already spent longer than he probably should have lying in bed and thinking over what to say. He’s offering forgiveness, and a blind eye, and the option of brushing the slate clean and forgetting what vulnerability and touches and discussion happened last night.

Gavin doesn’t move yet, so Nines steps outside properly and closes the sliding door behind him. They stare ahead together, Nines eventually giving up on trying to watch the sunrise in favour of watching the back of his android’s head while Gavin continues to be so still that Nines almost leans down to check that he isn’t in stasis.

Suddenly Gavin straightens. “Alright,” he says, with not even a hint of the static undertone from last night. He presses his hands to the floor and comes up to standing in a smooth movement, then turns around. The android brushes past Nines, barely an inch between them - _like he’s testing himself- testing both of them -_ and pulls the door open. “Yeah whatever, that’s fine. I’d better run over to my apartment before work, need to change at least. Try to avoid any important tox screens for about forty-six hours. See you later.”

And with that he’s breezing towards the front door, footsteps calm and steady, but Nines can tell his android wants to bolt.

Wants to get out of his presence as soon as politely possible.

He barely gets out a “Bye,” before the door is opened and closed, Gavin slipping out quickly.

The apartment suddenly seems depressingly empty, even as Cham steps around the far end of the couch to stare at him as if wondering why he’s out on the balcony before breakfast has been served.

He’s wondering a little bit, too, because clearly his presence hadn’t really been needed out here. They each basically went through a little speech at the other. Whatever had happened couldn’t really be called a conversation because they’d barely gone back and forth once.

It feels like whatever walls between them that were fractured last night are still broken, and that feels more important than his concern that his android's going to take all the blame.

Nines lets his breath escape in a heavy sigh as he makes his way back into the apartment. That… was not how he'd thought this morning would go, but at the same time, why should he have expected anything different? He shoves his hands up into his hair, not bothering to try and comb it out. He needs to shower. He needs to go on with his usual morning routine, and then maybe everything will start to feel normal again. Maybe Gavin just needs a little bit of space and then life will return to normal…

He catches sight of a red mark on his skin, and he drops his arm to stare at the imprint of teeth. Two perfect curves where his android's stupidly sharp teeth actually fucking broke skin, with red bruising radiating out from each little mark.

Well fuck - there's no way Gavin wouldn't have seen that angry colour, and Nines figures some of the wound will scar at least for a few months. His android will likely have made note of that too, might even have enough information logged in his head to calculate it.

“Great,” he mumbles, sighing and turning to slide along the wall down to the ground. Well he'd almost certainly screwed up whatever mending he meant his words to have. Even though Gavin had received express consent, the android is probably going to twist it around in his computer brain and conveniently forget that detail.

There's a ping from his phone. It takes a moment to remember where he’d left it, but then it’s easy enough to heave his body up far enough to pull his phone from a coat pocket. There are probably two dozen stacked notifications from various precinct chat groups, and the thing had automatically started the battery saver function forty minutes ago when it had dropped to fifteen percent, but that’s not what the new ping is about.

It’s a notification that the working case file has been updated by his partner.

He tabs into the file quickly and sees that the virus and drug that Meredith the AJ700 had passed on to them are both listed there, in significant detail, but Nines just skims over the information on the virus on the way to his android-administered tox report. _That_ he reads properly, scrolling through the initial analysis, then the second one from two and a half hours later. Any specifics about the methods used to acquire samples for analysis is absent, not that that will seem notable to anyone but the two of them.

By the time he gets through the entirety of the addition, Nines is… kind of impressed at how controlled he was last night, considering what was in his system. He probably shouldn’t have driven them anywhere either, but if anyone asks he’ll make an argument that meticulous driving routines and habits maybe lessened the risks.

There’s nothing immediately concerning about the virus part of the report that he scrolls back up to, but Nines reads between the lines and what he gets out of it is that Gavin’s more shaken than he’s let on. Perhaps it’s something to do with the way it’s all written up, sounding just a little too personal despite the clinical nature of most of the information. Perhaps his conclusion has something to do with the way Gavin had run away, then updated the file once out of his reach.

Nines sighs, and closes out of the working case file. Well, the android is out of his _physical_ reach, but not virtual. His finger hovers over the message app for a moment longer than he’d like to admit, then he taps it quickly before taking a dive into premeditated regret.

Yeah, his android had pretty much sprinted away from him the second he could, but Nines isn’t going to let him get away without offering him one more out, because his own desires apparently don’t matter anymore. Not when they come up against Gavin’s.

******< I'm sure that virus took a toll on you, take the day off if you need>**|Delivered: 5:43am|

He doesn’t wait for the reply that is typically near immediate: not because he doesn’t want to hear from Gavin, but because he doesn’t know if he can bear pretending nothing’s changed quite yet. He even goes so far as to turn on a ‘Do Not Disturb’ function where nothing but a call from Fowler or Connor will make noise, then drops it screen down on the table in the corner and plugs it in.

He’s half tempted to call in today.

He actually lingers by his phone and the table for a moment, fingers tapping on the smooth wood surface as if the sound will provide him with something more enjoyable than the sickening swirl of thoughts in his mind. He’s more than half tempted, really, but he figures that if one of them needs to take the day off, it should be the one who struggled with a virus and undesirable objectives all night. In comparison, Nines is doing great. It’s mostly just his feelings and state of mind that have taken any sort of lasting hit.

He sighs and rubs his face.

It is way too early in the day for an emotional crisis.

He needs to shower and figure out how to face the day.

He needs coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright alright I keep saying 'just this one more, then we're done' and my brain keeps lying.  
> I have two more works and two halfs comin, though the two are a two-parter and the halfs may never be much of anything. BUT there will be more hurt/angst. and eventual comfort (two-parter ayyyy). and the one 'half' is just fluff, pure and simple
> 
> ((also also, sorta still working on an alternate second-half-of-chapter-two thing, might only ever get posted to tumblr BUT i'll toss the link up here when/if it ever goes up))

**Author's Note:**

> apparently my brain won't let these two catch a break
> 
> I've been thinking, as I've been working through writing this work up, and I've come to the soft conclusion that Meredith didn't really mean to basically drug them both up. I just couldn't sufficiently figure out an explanation why she'd be trying to get them together (initially my thought as to her motivation/intention) - because she's literally just met them and immediately hands Nines a drugged drink.  
> SO I figure the virus is something that she may or may not have known she was carrying, but the kicker is that it doesn't seem to affect deviants like she is. Therefore Gavin, being a not quite proper deviant, gets the full force of the virus. As to the drink… the only thing I can think of that maybe checks out is if the kid had given Meredith a drink mix or smth that he made/liked with the drug in it because he was over so often?


End file.
